LIEZL - FILIPINO & SPANISH

Name: Liezl Paulino
 

Ethnicity: Filipino + Spanish
 

Role(s) in the industry: Actor
 

IG Handle: @liezlpaulino

What communities do you identify with: good humans, women, moms, artists, actors, Filipino, Filipino American, Asian Pacific Islander community, yogis, Miamians

What are you stereotyped as: Nurse, doctor, scientist, the friendly ethnically ambiguous mom, the best friend, accountant, academic

What are you actually like (even the things people might not know about you!): I feel like I'm a walking contradiction. I’m a goofy, deeply spiritual, empath, yogi, eternal optimist and self-development junkie who also loves a fun glam moment and am likely over-accessorized on any given day. I'm always learning about some random subject and I think smart + funny is an unbeatable combo in humans. I value kindness and authenticity, I'm allergic to surface conversation and my simple hope for most days is that a person leaves me feeling as though they were seen and valued in our time together- even if it's a brief exchange in passing.

What's a role that spoke to you whether it represented your ethnicity in a positive way or your ethnicity did not define the role: I loved Ali Wong in Always Be My Maybe! It was great to see a smart, sexy, sassy Asian woman play the lead in a romantic comedy. I also appreciated that in this story, her ethnicity and culture served only to color her character, rather than define her or reinforce a stereotype.

What's a dream role for you: A beautifully flawed, full spectrum of a woman in her brilliance as well as her dark side. I'd also love to play a badass spy/ assassin type woman who is an unassuming local shop owner or soccer mom by day. Oh and the female version of Dexter :)

What message would you like to send to the entertainment industry: While there have been great strides in representation of different ethnicities on screen, we have a long way to go. Leads, main characters and series regulars should reflect the multicultural world we live in. Diversity should be shown to honor the rich texture of humanity that we see in our communities and in the faces of our neighbors- not just to check a box for "required" representation there in support of a primarily Caucasian cast. And not because it's the popular trend of the moment. We’re so multifaceted and have depth beyond what we’re seeing on screen- and we'd love the opportunity to showcase those layers more frequently. Film, Television and storytelling have the power to educate, open minds and shape worldview- let's not take that honor lightly.